Neuromodulation (or “neural modulation”, also referred to as “neurostimulation” or “neural stimulation”) has been proposed as a therapy for a number of conditions. Often, neuromodulation and neural stimulation may be used interchangeably to describe excitatory stimulation that causes action potentials as well as inhibitory and other effects. Examples of neuromodulation include Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS), and Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES). SCS, by way of example and not limitation, has been used to treat chronic pain syndromes.
Conventional SCS delivers electrical pulses to the spinal cord, masking the transmission of pain signals to the brain. While these electrical pulses can reduce pain, they are often associated with possible unpleasant tingling and buzzing sensations known as paresthesia.
Sub-perception SCS therapy has been proposed to provide pain relief without the accompanying paresthesia. However, the wash-in time for sub-perception SCS therapy is significant. The wash-in time refers to a time from the start of a therapy to when a therapeutic response to the therapy can be observed. Since there typically is no immediate feedback for a sub-perception SCS, it can be a challenge to find a desirable or optimal location (sweet-spot) for the modulation field within an office visit.